New Year, New Ways to Fundraise:
Fresh Ideas for 2026
Because there’s more than one way to make a difference.
There’s something about January that makes us pause and think. Maybe it’s the quiet after the festivities, or the blank pages of a new calendar. Whatever it is, many of us find ourselves wondering: what could I do this year that really matters?
If that thought has crossed your mind, we’d like to make a gentle suggestion.
Fundraising for hospice care is one of the most meaningful things you can do. Not because it’s glamorous or headline-grabbing, but because it directly helps real people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. The family keeping vigil at a bedside. The exhausted carer who desperately needs a break. The patient who just wants to feel comfortable and dignified.
Your fundraising makes that possible.
And you don’t need to run a marathon or abseil down a building (unless you fancy it, of course). Some of the most successful fundraisers we’ve seen have been refreshingly simple, genuinely creative, and actually enjoyable.
Here are some ideas. Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t, and make it your own.
For the Social Butterflies
Host a Supper Club
Formal dinner parties might feel like a relic of another era, but there’s something lovely about gathering people around a table. Invite friends for a relaxed supper and ask everyone to donate what they’d normally spend eating out. Theme it if you like – a curry night, an Italian feast, a “childhood favourites” menu where everyone brings something nostalgic.
When it’s cold and grey outside and the evenings still draw in early, it’s nice to have something cosy and fun to look forward to. Even nicer when it’s doing some good.
Organise a Pub Quiz
Never underestimate how competitive people get over general knowledge. Most landlords are happy to host a charity quiz night – it brings people through the door on a quiet evening, and everyone wins. Charge per team, throw in a raffle, and you could raise a few hundred pounds before last orders.
It’s a great way to support your local pub while raising money for hospice care. Community supporting community.
Coffee Morning with a Twist
The classic coffee morning has raised countless millions for charity over the years, and for good reason – it works. But why not add your own spin? A bring-and-buy book stall. A cake decorating competition. A “worst bake” contest where the most spectacular disaster wins a prize.
The secret ingredient isn’t the coffee. It’s the company.
For the Active Ones
Walk, Run, or Cycle Your Own Challenge
You don’t need an official event with a medal and a t-shirt. Set yourself a challenge that means something to you. Walk 100 miles over the month. Cycle to work every day in February. Swim 50 lengths three times a week.
Set up an online fundraising page, share your progress, and let people cheer you on. There’s something powerful about doing something hard for a reason that matters.
Garden Games Tournament
Once the weather finally perks up, invite neighbours and friends for an afternoon of garden games. Croquet, boules, egg and spoon races, or a fiercely contested rounders match. Charge a small entry fee, serve Pimms (or tea, depending on your crowd), and enjoy an afternoon where everyone’s a winner.
Well, except whoever comes last at croquet. They’re buying the next round!
Danceathon
Gather some friends and pledge to keep dancing for a set number of hours. Zumba, salsa, or simply enthusiastic Dad dancing to your favourite playlists – it all counts. It’s impossible to dance for charity without laughing, and impossible to watch without wanting to sponsor someone.
For the Creative Types
Sell Your Skills
What are you good at that others might pay for? Photography sessions for families. Guitar lessons. Fresh sourdough deliveries. Garden consultations. Help with decluttering or housework.
Offer your time and talents in exchange for donations to Hospice Aid UK. You’d be surprised how many people would love what you can do – and would love even more that their payment is going somewhere meaningful.
Art or Craft Sale
Sell Your Skills
If you paint, knit, make jewellery, or create anything beautiful, consider selling your work with profits going to hospice care. Local craft fairs, Facebook Marketplace, and Etsy are all brilliant platforms. Every sale becomes a small act of kindness, passed from your hands to theirs to hospices all round the UK.
Commission-Based Creations
Offer custom pieces – portraits, personalised gifts, handmade cards – in exchange for a donation. People love owning something unique. They love it even more when there’s a story behind it.
For the Community-Minded
Workplace Fundraising
Talk to your employer about organising something at work. Dress-down Fridays with a £1 donation. A bake sale in the canteen. A sponsored step challenge between departments (nothing motivates quite like interdepartmental rivalry).
Many companies also offer match funding, which means your efforts go twice as far. It’s worth asking.
School or Club Involvement
If you’re involved with a school, sports club, church, or community group, why not suggest a fundraising partnership? Sponsored events bring people together across generations – grandparents cheering on grandchildren, neighbours discovering shared interests, communities remembering what they have in common.
People are often more generous than you’d expect when they understand the cause. Most of us want to help. We just need to be asked.
For the Digital Generation
Facebook Birthday Fundraiser
Instead of receiving gifts, ask friends and family to donate to Hospice Aid UK through Facebook’s fundraising feature. It takes minutes to set up and can raise hundreds of pounds. Your birthday becomes something bigger than cake and cards.
Social Media Challenge
Create your own challenge and document it online. Give up something you love for a month. Learn a new skill from scratch. Do something slightly silly every day and post the evidence. Tag friends to join in, share your fundraising link, and watch the donations roll in.
The sillier the challenge, the more people tend to give. We’re not sure why, but we’re not complaining.
Live Stream for Charity
If you’re a gamer, artist, or musician, consider a charity live stream on Twitch, YouTube, or Instagram. Your followers can donate while you do what you love. It turns screen time into something that genuinely helps.
Making It Count
Whatever you choose to do, a few things make all the difference:
Tell your story. When you ask for donations, explain why hospice care matters to you. Maybe someone you loved received hospice support. Maybe you simply believe everyone deserves dignity and comfort at the end of life. Personal connections turn a request into an invitation.
Make it easy to give. Set up an online fundraising page with JustGiving, GoFundMe, or a similar platform. The fewer clicks, the more donations.
Share updates. Let people know how you’re getting on. We all love following a journey, especially when we’re part of making it happen.
Say thank you. A genuine thank you goes further than you might think. During your fundraiser and afterwards. People remember being appreciated.
Why Your Fundraising Matters
Every pound you raise helps hospices provide exceptional care when families need it most. The specialist recliner chairs that let patients sit comfortably with visitors instead of lying in bed. The pressure-relieving equipment that protects fragile skin. The bereavement counselling that helps families find their way through grief.
In 2025, Hospice Aid UK distributed thousands of pounds in grants to hospices across the country. With your help, we can do even more in 2026.
Ready to Get Started?
We’d love to hear from you if you’re planning to fundraise for Hospice Aid UK this year. We can provide materials, advice, and support to help make your event a success. And we promise to be your biggest cheerleaders along the way.
Whether you’re hosting a quiz in your local pub or swimming lengths before work, you’re helping ensure that hospice care remains available for everyone who needs it. That’s no small thing.
Here’s to a 2026 filled with kindness, community, and hope.